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Cataract Surgery Campaign

Don't turn back the clock! Cataract surgery - the need for patient-centred care

In 2008/09 the NHS carried out approximately 330,000 Cataract operations saving the sight of hundreds of thousands of people in the UK.

However, despite it being an operation proven to be a safe, clinically and cost effective intervention people are starting to miss out; Thousands may end up living with sight loss unnecessarily.

PCTs must refrain from trying to solve cash-flow problems by simply cancelling all cataract surgery in the run-up to a new financial year.

The report

In conjunction with the Royal College of Opthalmologists RNIB has written a report to launch our new campaign to stop Primary Care Trusts turning back the clock on their cataract policies.

http://www.epolitix.com/fileadmin/epolitix/stakeholders/Cataract_report.pdf

Our findings

  • PCTs introducing thresholds to restrict access to cataract surgery do so without being able to demonstrate that they will not harm patients.
  • Consistent application of the national cataract guidelines with a standardised cataract pathway have the potential to reduce the costs of cataract surgery by five per cent.
  • Where PCTs consider cost saving measures in the area of ophthalmology they should be guided by the Royal College focusing on non sight-threatening eye diseases rather than restricting access to treatment that could result in people living with avoidable sight loss.

For more information please contact Barbara McLaughlan, Eye Health Campaigns Manager on 020 7391 2302.

Royal National Institute of Blind People

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